Unsuspecting Heir
by ASteadfastHeartofGold
Summary: Just this once; he was seventeen again. The year that tore his life to shreds. The year that changed him completely. Into something he hated. Another skid as he traced down the next hallway in this maddening house. Hatred made his blood boil; the scar of his face was infected thanks to no medical attention. Burning. Burning. Burning.    Turn Back, Sonic. - Heavily AU oneshot.


A/N: A rather heavy AU fan fiction inspired by an AU Sonic I role-play as who had to discover some… rather horrifying things in his time of activity. This is a nightmare he had while still in his rock hard denial.

* * *

The king had fallen asleep that night; a sound sleep. One his comfortable, perfect bed constantly promised. But that doesn't mean it had to be enjoyable.

A dark room. Pitch black. No light what so ever. Sneakers of red and white straps collided with the unseeable tile floors. Shoes leaving a skid mark, mostly notable by the sound as he turned and ran through the mirror house. A place with no light, yet his reflection could be seen as bright as day. A blue hedgehog; gloomy demeanor thanks to his zone, running through with all the hatred he could ever have. Yet the trigger hasn't been set to make him have a bloodlust to consume the world has he knew it. Oh, no.

Just this once; he was seventeen again. The year that tore his life to shreds. The year that changed him completely. Into something he hated. Another skid as he traced down the next hallway in this maddening house. Hatred made his blood boil; the scar of his face was infected thanks to no medical attention. Burning. Burning. Burning.

_Turn Back, Sonic. _

He ignored the inward plea; just kept on running without thought; without action. And got himself stuck in a dead end.

_Hoo hoho!_ That accursed LAUGH! Filled with the bloodlust for each other the archenemy and nemesis shared. Both by the other's doing. Driving each other to the edge of murder.

His eyes; they widened with hate. Unmeasured hate as he frantically looked around the cul de sac of mirrors he was encapsulated in. Never once looking back the way he came as footsteps approached. Of boots; familiar footsteps that made his blood boil more and MORE… And he never looked to see the man he would soon kill placing a hand on his shoulder.

The hedgehog's back arched up. He stood tall; eyes as wide as plates as the doctor over his shoulder leaned down to have his mouth right besides the Mobian's ear. To do what his counterpart had done the night before.

"Well; look how far we've come, SIRE."

"What…?" The seventeen-year-old cried, oblivious to the future that lied before him. His scar was making his eye twitch with pain. He ignored it. Again.

"Oh, don't tell me you don't KNOW! This is YOUR dream, you old koot!"

"I think_ you're_ the old koot here." The fading hero responded upon turning around. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"So you're reverting back to that teenage self, eh? Very well. I'll make it very clear.

"You dug your own grave. As my heir."

The hedgehog rather urgently blinked. His eyes were still wide; still bloodshot with black veins to stay in touch with his zonal surroundings.

"_What….?_"

"Think of it this way…" the doctor pivoted the hedgehog to face the mirrors around them. Sonic was face to face with his reflection; a blue, gray hedgehog. Infected scar. And the doctor's reflection was _missing_ out of the picture.

"You were brought and come to have hated me. You MURDERED me in cold blood; with the very QUILLS on your BACK!"

As the doctor spoke; blood dripped off those very quills. The sound sent a chill up the blue hedgehog's spine; and the same quills. …He—He couldn't be—…

He turned his head around; watching said blood drip down in the reflection. He could swear he just aged up 2 years to the prime of his life at 19; stronger and more powerful. The day he KILLED the doctor that still held a hand on his shoulder. This time, however; he was in shock with what he had done. Not ready to groan and bathe it off like it was just chili or ketchup on his quills; so it wouldn't stain. For a few seconds, the king was hit with this one fact — He KILLED him. ENDED HIS LIFE! What happened to the moral that no one deserved that?

"Let's not forget you did it to win my empire. That was MUCH bigger than your holdings of dictatorship. To eventually rule over this world."

The blue hedgehog's eyes widened further. He watched himself age. Deteriorate from what he used to be. Days passed in instants; one in particular went slow. The day one of his quills was trimmed; and deep inside was the stain of blood. EGGMAN'S BLOOD. He IGNORED IT. But this time; it was like a slap to the FACE.

The hedgehog could FEEL the doctor smile in his currently twisting gut. Ears quickly lowered; and the hedgehog began to breathe deep.

"NOW do you see? I didn't even have to try.

You dug your own grave. As a corrupted king practicing my ideals."

Another deep, loud breath.

"You were an unsuspecting HEIR. And you DID IT YOURSELF!"

The doctor was soon in the reflection. The hedgehog looked up at him; seeing him placing his crown on his head. Just like Sonic had done during his self-held coronation. He squirmed and panicked and pleaded as the scar on his cheek was hardened. Just like his heart.

And then it was complete. Eggman draped the cloak of a cape onto him; letting the golden armor click it into place. The hedgehog yet again breathed a hard to breathe deep breath. His dark lungs scrapping themselves and straining themselves to hold the air. His heart fluttered. IN FEAR.

Eggman put his hands on his shoulders. That same red and gold outfit he's always wore. And Sonic wore one similar. The resemblance was straight in his face.

"An unsuspecting heir of my own enemy… It's just too perfect!"

The aging was complete as his denial and hate replaced the fear and shock. He swung at the doctor behind him; the doctor suddenly getting agility to dodge his arm and punch.

"_NO! NEVER!"_ He shouted; eyes narrow, fangs bared.

"_I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU! NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING!"_

* * *

"Nothing…nothing…nothing…" The king mumbled in his sleep. His slumber wasn't entirely deep anymore. As the voice of Caliburn whimpered out a worried 'M-My liege…?', the king woke up. And jolted up, much to Caliburn's fear. He sent Caliburn a sleepish look, which didn't help much.

"…. how long was I asleep."

"O—…only a couple of minutes, sire… Perhaps you should let me handle the duties today…"

"No." The hedgehog draped his cape over him; sleeping with the crown on his head that night, "My people need me."

Caliburn continued to quiver and fear him; letting it hold him back from protesting as he walked down the corridor on the way to his throne. He assessed the dream he just had.

A heir out of his own enemy….it was all a lie. It wasn't the truth. And it never would be, he figured; as he sat on the throne. Waiting the daily duties he had to deal with.

He was nothing like Eggman. And he was back to living in his denial; even after a nightmare that spelled it all in black and white.

All it was, was that. A nightmare to him. And it would always be so.


End file.
